Interview: Dr. Acho Orabuchi

Dr. Iheanacho Acho Orabuchi is the National Chairman of Pan-Ndi-Igbo Foundation, a US-based political group. Despite his busy schedule, the American-trained computer expert cum political activist found time last week to speak to Champion Correspondent and KWENU intern ADEZE OJUKWU from his Dallas base on the Anambra State crises and other burning national issues.

What is happening Anambra State is a typical example of what is holding the Igbo down politically in the Nigerian body polity. While other ethnic groups are planning and strategizing for the 2007 elections, for political control of Nigeria, we are busy fighting amongst ourselves for political control of a state. We have to have unity among us in order to be relevant in the Nigerian body politics. The Anambra madness is not helping the Igbo.

I would safely say that the crisis emanated from the electoral fraud of the 2003 elections. We cannot ignore the crux of the problem and face elsewhere for the solutions. A lasting peace may be far fetched in Anambra State and in Igbo land if the Election Tribunal and the Appeals Court continue to delay justice. It is unfortunately sad that the judiciary is loosing its independence. The judiciary has allowed itself to be manipulated and used as a pawn for some people to achieve their selfish interests. We know very well that justice delayed is justice denied! One cannot expect peace in an environment where the rule of law is being circumvented and trampled upon at will. The Election Tribunal is holding the conscience of the people hostage and that should stop immediately.

Furthermore, inasmuch as I blame President Olusegun Obasanjo, for fanning the amber of chaos in Anambra by his reluctance to intervene publicly to end the crisis, it is the absolute responsibility of the Igbo to take care of their business. It is an egregious conduct for the Igbo to continue to allow outsiders to destabilize their race. I do not foresee any other ethnic group entertaining in its area what is happening in Anambra State.

As a matter of principle, the Igbo in Diaspora are demanding without delay from President Obasanjo, AG, and IGP the restoration of security details to the executive governor of Anambra State. It is an abuse of power to withdraw the governor’s police protection. This single action has demonstrated the dire need for the states to have a police force. I encourage people to agitate for the rights of states to have their state police force.

We have to forcefully reclaim our destiny. We have to do anything within the confines of the law to reclaim our fate and ensure that the influence of external forces to our internal affairs is diminished. There should be a three-prong approach to solving the problem. The first approach should be a peace effort—political—where there is a memorandum of understanding that the Igbo interest overrides personal interests. The principals involved should strictly adhere to that concept in the peace and reconciliation effort. The second approach would be the ruling of the Election Tribunal—legal. The ruling of the Election Tribunal is absolutely necessary to finding a lasting peace in the state. Since electoral fraud was, in my opinion, the cause of the problem, the ruling of the Election Tribunal would be part of the solutions. Martin Luther King once said, “True peace is not the absence of tension, but the presence of justice.” The third approach would be social sanctions. The Igbo should be able to establish sanctions that would be meted out to those individuals who would defy the memorandum of understanding, people that would aid and abate in the destabilization of Igbo ethnic group. The three-prong approach enunciated above would help achieve peace and unity in Anambra and elsewhere if applied boldly. Our people must learn to uphold the rule of law.

Let me caution here, it will be a colossal error if state of emergency is declared in Anambra State. It would cause an unprecedented anarchy that would spill over to other areas of the federation.

Why do you insist that the crisis is part of the grand design to marginalize the Igbo in Nigeria?

Let me ask you this, is any other ethnic group experiencing this type of crisis? Who is benefiting from the Anambra crisis? While we are preoccupied with the Anambra crisis other ethnic groups are planning and strategizing for the 2007 elections--for the political control of Nigeria. We are expending enormous energy for the political control of state. When we are busy trying to put out the fire set by outsiders with the help of insiders, we will not have the time and energy to be a competitor in the national political scene. While we are focusing on the Anambra crisis, not only that we are no longer paying attention to what is being done to us at present, but the obvious marginalization of the Igbo, deplorable South East roads, lack of federal infrastructure in the South East, lack of full implementation of the Federal Character Principles, and other issues are no longer being discussed prominently.

You are the National Chairman of Pan-Ndi-Igbo Foundation, USA. What is the position of your organization on this crises and the increasing demand for Igbo presidency?

PNF USA would want peace and unity to reign in Anambra and among the Igbo everywhere. We have expressed our position over the crisis publicly starting with the alleged abduction incident. We condemn unequivocally any action or behavior of any Igbo person or a group that would cause or set the Igbo back politically. We condemn actions of people that would threaten the larger and collective interest of the Igbo. As a result, we abhor what is happening in the State. We are holding the principal actors involved responsible for peace and unity in the State. It has always been our position that this crisis is both political and legal. Both legal and political solutions must converge in order to derive a lasting solution for the crisis. In any other solution would be a “band-aid” solution. Our people should learn to take bold actions to solve problems once and for all in order to avoid facing lingering situations.

Inasmuch as we would discourage ethnic politics because it is inimical to constructive and meaningful development, we very much welcome the idea of Igbo presidency. PNF USA would want and work for the actualization of a Nigerian presidency of an Igbo ethnic extraction. In 2002, during the PDP presidential primaries, PNF USA endorsed the candidacy of Dr Alex Ekwueme. Meanwhile, Igbo presidency is not our immediate problem. Our problems are disunity and lack of consensus Igbo agenda that is replete with ideological underpinnings. If the Igbo were given the presidency of Nigeria today, what would they do with it? Absolutely, nothing! This is primarily because of lack of unity and lack of a consensus Igbo agenda. We have to have to a sustained vision and direction before we can be successful in our aspirations. It is sadly regrettable that when we clamor for something, it is never backed up with substantive effort and energy. Presently, some ethnic groups are seriously planning and strategizing for the 2007 elections, but we are not doing anything about it. Presidency of Nigeria will never be handed to the Igbo because they say they want it. We’ve got to work for it. If we do not get our acts together, the Igbo may not smell vice presidency in 2007.

Also, Igbo presidency is just a fraction of a larger cause. We have other issues to address regardless of the ethnicity of the president of Nigeria. We are looking into the equitable resource allocation, federal presence in Igbo States, federal roads in Igbo land, power supply in Igbo States, political appointments, federal projects, unemployment among the Igbo, security, business environment for Ndi Igbo, healthcare, infrastructures, etc. We will speak out against any injustices meted out to Ndi Igbo. We will do our possible best to ensure that the quality of life of the people is enhanced by some of the actions we will be taking. We will commend any effort of the government that points to making Nigeria better for all her citizens.

In your opinion what is the most important single factor impeding Igbo political success in the Nigerian body polity?

In answering this question, I would also give some suggestions on how to address the problem. Lack of Igbo unity seems to be the most important single factor impeding the Igbo political success in the Nigerian polity. Igbo unity tends to be an elusive concept to some because to achieve it, hard work and time in conjunction with other factors must be expended. Interestingly, very many people would not want to make personal sacrifices required to address the issue.

It is my humble opinion that Igbo unity is both necessary and sufficient conditions for any meaningful economic and political enhancement of Ndi Igbo anywhere. Achieving unity among Ndi Igbo both in Diaspora and in Nigeria seems to be a difficult task. This is primarily because we have not examined deep enough to address factors necessary for achieving unity.

All along we have been looking at unity in isolation. We just talk about lack of Igbo unity in many quarters, but we have not seen it as an impediment to the economic and political success of our people in the Nigerian socio-political context. It is my belief that lack of unity among our people, coupled with high degree of selfishness of Ndi Igbo, is a problem. It is paramount that we change our attitudes so that we would work together to ensure the presence of trust, honesty, accountability, transparency, unselfishness, commitment, and vision, is among us. Let those factors, including leadership and the focus on the group's goal flourish among us as a race.

I may conclude that honesty is one of the factors that help build trust. As a result, if we want to build trust among Ndi Igbo, we must not only be honest to others, but also to ourselves. Our public and private pronouncements must be consistent with our actions. We will endeavor to mean what we say and say what we mean. Honesty would help us build trust. In achieving unity, TRUST must be present. We will achieve a collective political success in the Nigerian body polity if we are united. Also, we have not been able to articulate a veritable vision for Ndi Igbo in the context of Nigerian political economy.

In addition, while it is important to have the unity of purpose, it is the responsibility of our leaders to articulate the vision and goals for Ndi Igbo. The vision must be clearly communicated to the members of the Igbo groups. It is the responsibility of everyone to focus on the collective interest, the common goal of Ndi Igbo. We may be successful as individuals, but as a group we may not be successful. We will be successful as a group if we do not let our individual interests override our collective interest. It takes every member of the Igbo groups to work together to accomplish the common goal of the Igbo. That is unity! Persons in a group would not be committed to the common goal if they do not trust each other. In the same token, they would not trust each other if the leadership lacks responsibility and vision.

Commitment is an influential factor for accomplishing goals and objectives of a group. People must make some personal sacrifices in order to accomplish the common goal of Ndi Igbo.

Though some people may consider what I have stated so far as conjectural assertions, it is my fervent opinion that achieving Igbo unity requires the following: accountability, honesty, trust, commitment, unselfishness, transparency, articulation of vision/goals, creating enabling environment, and transformational leadership. When unity is in place, collective political success becomes achievable. And if we, as a people, truly want to flex our political muscle, we must first find unity.

PNF USA is an antithesis of status quo. It offers a new approach in tackling issues of importance; you know that some people abhor change. With dynamism inherently characterizing the changing world, one must find a better approach to keep pace with or be steps ahead of events. PNF USA, Inc. represents a paradigm shift. We have to be proactive!

PNF USA is the only Igbo political organization that I know of in the North America. Pan Ndi-Igbo Foundation USA, Inc.It is a political organization incorporated in the State of Texas. It has grassroots membership and participation throughout the US. Also, we are a pressure group. The organization focuses on issues facing Ndi Igbo in particular and Nigeria in general. PNF USA is not a socio-cultural organization.

PNF USA, Inc. is a platform for the articulation, development, promotion, and protection of the POLITICAL interests of Ndi Igbo in particular and Nigerian citizens in general. The group will ensure that in carrying out the public business of the nation (Nigeria) there is equity and fairness. Also, it seeks to develop and promote the establishment of honest IGBO political leaders with the objective of providing a good government through active investments in education, infrastructure, research and development, the environment, and eradication of corruption. PNF USA, Inc. is also a pressure group that works in collaboration with other Igbo organizations. PNF USA will ensure, as much as possible, that honest candidates of Igbo ethnic extraction are well organized. PNF USA provides people of IGBO origin with an opportunity to gain an education in political affairs, knowledge of current events, and also to contribute toward good government through active participation.

Our immediate objective now is to educate the masses about issues that affect their lives. We have been educating masses through dissemination of pertinent information. We are grateful to the media for its role in helping us to accomplish the objective.

As you may know, practical training is already going on in various youth organizations. These youths holding various offices are gaining valuable experience in leadership. We hope to organize periodic leadership training whereby individuals from various organizations, student union members, politicians, etc. will be invited. Some of these leadership summits will be organized in Nigeria to afford everyone the opportunity to attend.

We plan to hold political summit, Leadership Forum, Igbo Summit each year in the United States where individuals would be able to receive training in various areas of government and politics. We held a successful All-Igbo Political Summit last, July 11-13, 2003 to be precise. Some of the workshops and training sessions will be done in the United States. This would pose some problems because not everyone that would like to attend would afford to come to the United States. However, we would be making plans to organize some training sessions in Nigeria as soon as all the modalities are worked out. Meanwhile, we are having some logistical problems to implement some of our programs.

One of our problems now is our inability to reach as many people we would want to reach in Nigeria due to the level of literacy, medium of communication, and poverty level.

PNF USA will be having two major events in May 2004. One of the events is the Third Annual Women Recognition Awards Gala. We use this event to recognize some women for their contributions culturally, socially, and politically. The other event will center on socio-economic and socio-political solutions. We do not want to talk about our problems. We know them. We want to focus on pragmatic solutions.

Yes, we work in collaboration with other well-meaning Igbo groups both in the United States and Nigeria. We are in communication with PNF - Nigeria, Ohanaeze, and other groups, including some Igbo leaders. During the presidential campaign in 2003, PNF USA designed a rating instrument for the selection of a consensus Igbo presidential candidate. We faxed the instrument to Ohanaeze for its use in making an objective decision on a consensus candidate. We advised Ohanaeze privately and publicly on what needed to be done for the selection of a consensus candidate. I spoke with Professor Joe Irukwu after his election to inform him of our willingness to help them in any way to the best of our ability.

PNF USA is an independent organization being financed by the members of the organization. Meanwhile, membership in PNF USA, Inc. is open to qualified Ndi Igbo in the United States and Canada irrespective of their political party affiliation. PNF USA, Inc. has grassroots membership participation from various professional backgrounds. However, people are screened before they become members. Ideology and principles and not selfish interests drive members of PNF USA. Members are required to be knowledgeable in issues concerning Ndi Igbo and Nigeria. PNF USA, Inc. attracts individuals who are unselfish and loyal to the Igbo cause. Members are required to read extensively and deeply about current and historical Igbo and Nigerian issues. Members should be able to give historical and theoretical perspectives of the issues concerning Ndi Igbo in particular and Nigeria in general. Inasmuch as PNF USA prides itself in knowledge of issues, it focuses on pragmatic approach in tackling those issues. We are not naïve about the situation on the ground.

Personally, I am not satisfied with the Nigerian level and pace of development. In any economy, the major engine that propels it is the significant presence of middle class. The Nigerian economy could be characterized as having two groups—“the haves and the have-not’s”. There is no group in-between. In an economy where the rate of unemployment is unacceptably high and about 70 percent or more of the population are living in poverty, something is morally wrong. The wealth of the country is concentrated in the hands of few individuals. I strongly believe that Nigeria can do better with her wealth.

We need development and improvement in the following areas: constant supply of power, education, infrastructure, healthcare, security, roads, rural development, poverty alleviation, etc. Nigeria has the resources and human capital to improve her economy. However, all hands must be on deck in fighting against and possible elimination of graft so that resources will be channeled to the appropriate programs.

Do you have viable options for Nigeria's socioeconomic malaise? Make suggestions on how to revive these sectors: Education, Health, South-East Roads, and Technological Development.

Nigeria has mélange of socio-economic problems such as poverty, corruption, unemployment, degeneration of values, increased level of prostitution, cult activities, lack of security, and so on. Some of these maladies are on the increase because of the feeling of hopelessness by the youth of Nigeria. The government, in partnership with businesses, should embark on viable economic programs that would give hope to the youth. The youth need to be empowered! The country would be able to educe desired values from the youth of Nigeria if they have hope.

Again, the socio-economic problems of the country could be solved with sustained economic, social, and educational programs. First of all, we must learn how to manage our resources. Nigeria has a history of mismanagement of resources.

Before I go further, let me talk briefly about the South-East roads otherwise called “Igbo Roads.” They are not Igbo roads. They are federal roads. However, the Federal Republic of Nigeria refuses to maintain them because they are in the South East. The condition of the said Igbo roads should serve as a constant reminder that the Igbo are being marginalized in Nigeria. I do not know if you have traveled from Lagos to Onitsha/ Owerri lately. Can you imagine how long it will take to drive for a few kilometers when you get to Onitsha? It may take you hours because of bad roads. Bad roads have negative effects on the lives of people of the South East. The condition of our roads affects the economic activities, including the cost of doing business and consumer price, of the Igbo. Let me leave this issue for now and talk about others issues your question raised.

Nigeria boasts of thousands of professionals all over the world, yet the nation’s standard of living is appalling. Is their any hope in sight?

The state, including the quality, of education in Nigeria is unfortunately deplorable. The dilapidated state of education in our country is caused by incessant closure of colleges and universities coupled with lack of facilities, lack of qualified educators, lack of instructional equipment and books, lack of adequately paid teachers, and lack of other important variables. Also, incessant school closures at the college/university level add to the problem of providing quality education to the students. A country cannot turn out quality workforce if the students are not engaged in sustained academic program. The government has to reinvest in education to bring all the facets of the country’s educational sector to the world first class standard if Nigeria plans to be a player in the world economy.

Nigeria needs to invest in primary, secondary and university education in order to sustain democracy and maintain a viable economy. One could fairly conclude that the society seems to devalue the intellectual capacity and has opted to place enormous value on wealth as measured in monetary terms. As a result, success is now measured by the degree of one’s wealth and not by one’s intellectual capacity. This change in culture is prevalent among the Igbo youths. This has not only led to the decadence in education, but has made education less desirable among the youths. It will be inherently difficult to change this trend. That means that the local, state, and federal governments, including stakeholders should make concerted efforts to reverse the course.

It is my belief that if Nigeria seriously wants to invest in her future, she must genuinely restructure her educational system to address character, history and philosophy, mathematics, science and technology, social sciences, and other academic areas. Universities should be restructured to accommodate those individuals who would want to be retrained for degrees or certificates.

Universal Primary Education (UPE) of 1976 and Universal Basic Education (UBE) of 1998 were thoughtful, but they were not fully implemented to achieve the desired results. Nigeria has to restructure the educational curriculum at all levels to address the cultural, social, and economic needs of the country. There should be an infusion of technology into the primary, secondary, and university education. Primary level students should be technology literate. It is my suggestion that the government should go into partnership with businesses and universities to promote and provide training for the new technology. Many Nigerians in Diaspora are willing to provide technology training to people in Nigeria if the modalities are worked out.

In the Nigerian economic spectrum or stratum, you have two classes—the few rich on one end and the poor mass on the other. The rich has gotten richer because of the aid of the government. The poor, on the other hand, is getting poorer because of lack of constructive economic policies of the government and the rich is getting richer through privatization policy of the federal government. The absence of middle class is hurting the Nigerian economy tremendously. The middle class is the engine that drives any market economy. It is essentially important for the federal government to institute economic policies that would help build and expand the middle class.

There should be increased effort by the government to encourage the development of small and medium scale industries by business entrepreneurs. There should be less dependent on government as a major employer.

Corruption is an endemic problem in the country. It impedes meaningful economic development in any society, including Nigeria. Corruption is detrimental to us both individually and collectively. The effects of corruption could be seen in the number of deaths resulting from bad roads, poor healthcare system, fake drugs, malnutrition, poverty, and much more. Nigeria’s lack of infrastructure, good education system, economic development to corruption, and non-payment of workers’ and teachers’ salaries could be attributed to corruption. Our democracy can work well only when elected officials and civil servants show discipline and honesty in husbanding the national resources. In the same token, Nigeria needs individuals who would be bold and fearless in prosecuting corrupt public officials. Nigeria needs good people in public office if the country is serious in combating corruption that has eaten the fabrics of the nation.

Most Nigerians in the US describe the nation’s hospitals as disgraceful. Do you subscribe to these views?

Unfortunately, I do. My heart bleeds when I talk about healthcare system in general in Nigeria. It bleeds more when I venture into talking about hospitals. The problem is not about Nigeria’s capability to have quality healthcare system. The problem is corruption, mismanagement of resources, and abject neglect of the lives of our people.

Nigeria should be able to provide quality and affordable medical services to her citizens considering her wealth. It is shameful that women continue to die during childbirth. People continue to die of illnesses that could be easily treated or avoided. The country needs highly qualified and dedicated healthcare professionals in every part of the country.

Nigeria should rebuild her infrastructure, have a network of good roads, provide adequate housing, maintain constant supply of power, reduce corruption, provide security, and embark on genuine poverty alleviation if she wants to attract significant foreign investment. Lack of security, ethnic violence, and graft are the three most important factors that would inhibit significant foreign investment in the country.

I shy away from talking about myself for an obvious reason. I prefer to have other people tell my story. However, I am going to give you a copy of my profile. One thing I will not hesitate to tell you is that I am an advocate for the common man. I serve humanity. Well, my name is Iheanacho Ikedinobi Orabuchi, but I am called Acho. I am married with 5 five children. I am from Ogberuru in Orlu Local Government Area. My wife’s name is Ngozi and she is from Umuire in Umuahia, Abia State. I am in good health and in good spirit.

I have a diverse background both academically and professionally. I have vast experiences in many areas. I use my knowledge and experience to serve my people. I am actively involved in community and civic activities in the United States where I have established accountability, transparency, commitment, and service as my hallmark. I originated and moderate an electronic discussion group called 'Igbo Forum' where over 650 Igbo subscribers discuss pertinent issues on a daily basis.

One of my biggest assets is my ability to relate to and work with people from different professional, cultural, and ethnic backgrounds. My friends are from various ethnic groups. I must tell you that I have a penchant for politics. I believe that politics should be about competing ideas about how to provide quality service and programs to the people. I do not believe that government should provide everything, but I strongly believe that government should provide the enabling environment and equal opportunity to all. Everyone is responsible for contributing to his or her welfare once equal opportunity is assured. Both government and individual citizens should endeavor to be fiscally responsible. So, as you can see, my political ideology places me in the middle.

Without doubt you have recorded some achievements. Mention a few of your major achievements?

I take it that you are referring to PNF USA. PNF USA has accomplished a lot since its inception and I am proud to be associated with it. In the first instance, PNF USA has successfully recruited credible and unselfish individuals whose primary interest in joining the organization was “Igbo Interest”. These men and women understand the vision of and the direction the organization is going. Members are driven by service. We have provided leadership training to members and we plan to expand this venture.

PNF USA had a successful All-Igbo Political Summit last year that attracted people from various backgrounds. The summit culminated to the formation of Igbo Agenda Committee currently working on deriving a consensus Igbo agenda. PNF USA believes that the derivation of a consensus Igbo agenda is a necessary ingredient for fostering a cohesive and collective vision for the success of the Igbo in Nigeria.

PNF USA took a bold step and initiated Igbo Unity Conference to unite the Igbo in the Dallas metropolitan area. The discord among the Igbo within their various organizations in this area reached a calamity stage. We took it upon ourselves to unite these people. We strongly believe for the Igbo to move forward, there should be unity among us. Our work in this area is continuous.

You may want to know that we are proud to be one of few, if not the only one, Igbo organizations that recognize the social, cultural, and political contributions of women. As a matter of fact, we are going to have the “Third Annual Women Recognition Awards Gala” in May 2004. Details will be coming out soon. What informed our activity in this area is our belief that women should be equal partners in both social and political activities if success is to be assured.

We have made progress in educating the masses on pertinent issues. PNF USA has been successful in sensitizing the masses and sanitizing them with crucial issues. We have taken positions on various issues to let them know where we stand. We are also making efforts to influence policies that would have positive impact on the society. We do this by contacting key people responsible for policy formulation, adoption, and implementation. In some cases, we do make our views public to alert the public about unwise policies. We supported the monetization policy of the government, but we have a strong reservation for the privatization policy. We believe that the privatization policy because of its structural limitations, lack of full disclosure of buyer of the assets, and other flaws.

Well, I have had some personal accomplishments. At this juncture, please allow me the modesty of discussing some of my personal accomplishments. I received my bachelor of International Affairs, bachelor of Economics, and Master of Public Administration with emphasis in Public Finance and Public Budgeting from Eastern Washington University in 1982 and 1984 respectively. I have attended Southern Methodist University in Dallas. In 1992 I earned my terminal degree, Ph.D. in Early Childhood Education with a minor in Research and Statistics, a program jointly supervised by three prestigious universities, Texas Woman’s University (TWU) in Denton, my home university, University of North Texas, and Texas A & M University in Commerce. I have taken some post-doctoral courses in educational leadership. I successfully conducted an experimental study on using computer-assisted instruction to teach higher order (cognitive) thinking skills. My study has been widely cited by other researchers in the area. I have taught from science, mathematics, and computer applications at primary level to graduate level courses in a university.

I have written some scholarly articles and supervised doctoral dissertations. I have pioneered newsletter and school newspaper publications. In addition, I have won several awards.

Yes, I am a busy man in deed. Balancing my family responsibilities with my job and my community activities has not been an easy adventure. I am thankful to God for the strength, the insight and the inspiration he has blessed me with. I owe everything to God. In my spare time, I read newspaper and research articles. I also find pleasure in surfing the net. I read some of your articles.

Well, life presents itself with abundance of experiences that inherently has numerous opportunity costs. I am satisfied with who and what I am. I am fulfilled! I am truly thankful to God for my parents who raised me the way I am. In any case, my only regret at this moment is not being physically in Nigeria to contribute in a meaningful way to the development of Nigeria. However, my consolation is that I have found ways to express my opinion in regard to the variety of issues pertinent to the development of the country.

A lot of Nigerians are desperate to go to America. What has been your experience in the US?

It is not all roses in the United States, as people may seem to think. I have had both good and bad experiences in the United States. I have gone through thin and thick here like any other immigrant that did not have a support system. Nevertheless, it will take a book to illuminate my experiences here in the United States of America. One thing that is starkly clear is the fact that I received quality education here.

For the most part, my experiences in the US have been pleasant. I would not trade them for any other thing. I have been able to accomplish most of my personal goals because of the freedom and enormous opportunities the society has for me and everyone else. Remember that nothing of great value comes ordinarily. There have been tough times in my quest to succeed in life. I was able to survive those tough periods because of my faith in God.

This question reminds me of the adage that says, “All that glitters is not gold.” Do not get me wrong; America is good in so many ways. However, people on the other side are reading too much into what they see or hear about America.

My honest advice to people desperate to move to the United States is, if you are living a productive life and you have viable means of living in Nigeria, do not move to the United States. You may visit periodically. If you have to move to the US, make sure you do that legally to avoid living in an underground world without an iota of freedom.

There are plenty of opportunities here with personal responsibilities. It is crucial that one has to have skills set to be truly functional in this country. You have to obey the law, have the strength and the will to succeed, and be mentally and emotionally strong to have a chance to be successful in the United States. In America, people earn a living. In other words, you have to work for your money.

I strongly advise people contemplating to move to the USA to prepare them selves mentally and emotionally to deal with unmet expectations. To avoid significant cultural shock, people have to ask questions, read widely and extensively about American culture before immigrating.

Dr. Orabuchi, thank you very much for sharing your views on these burning national issues. I wish you well in your endeavors.

Thank you.

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